Should Artists Create Alt Text?
Hello Muddies, I’ve come off an exciting month, launching We Are The Scrappy Ones. In other great...
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Author: Kirbi Fagan
Illustrating A Picture Book with A Tra-Digital Approach
I’m excited to present a project of mine coming next week, April 1st, “We Are The Scrappy Ones.” We Are the Scrappy Ones was written by groundbreaking educator-memoir writing-creative,-activist, Rebekah Tuassig. We are the scrappy ones. / We live, we adapt, we defy. / Made of stardust and grit, we are spectacular. Children with disabilities experience the world in all kinds of ways. Yet one thing they share is navigating a world that doesn’t…
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Traditional-Digital Legacy with Matthew Schenk
Traditional and Digital tools together are being used in collaboration in illustration today more than ever. I’m bringing Muddy Colors an artist and gifted teacher who rides the waves of technology alongside traditional art making. Matthew Schenk is an artist and illustrator who has illustrated various projects from coloring books to medical illustrations. He spent ten years in Los Angeles, California working on productions for Sony Pictures/ Columbia Tristar Children’s Entertainment including the animated version…
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Tra-digital Tell All
I first heard the term “Tra-digital” about a decade ago, most artists know it means when an artist combines traditional materials like paint and pencils along with digital tools like a Wacom tablet, iPad or Cintiq. I’ve been developing my approach using both traditional and digital tools since I graduated from art school. I’ve avoided sharing my process online because my process is not pretty and not always linear. This process continues to develop for…
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Interview With Cover Aritist Kelley McMorris
I connected online with Kelley, admiring her career in book cover art. Her work was everywhere I...
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Illustrating book covers and Interiors for middle grade readers
My favorite work I have done, and hope to continue to do, is working on middle grade books. From fantasy, to historial fiction it’s been a rewarding area of my career and one I had my heart set on doing since my college years. What is Middle Grade? Some people debate where exactly the rails are for the “middle grade” genre but most agree middle grade readers are 8-12 years old. The worldview in the…
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Hand Lettering: An Act of Rebellion & Tool of Narration
I’m writing with another conversation on a topic that includes traditional skills, design, and the...
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The Art of Green
One of the projects on my desk is a book with scenes featuring a lot of…. green. In gardening, textiles, and decorating, green hues flow for me. I incorporate them generously so much so that I think of green as a neutral color – a backdrop of life on Earth. But this romantic thought comes to a screaming halt when I’m planning a composition with a lot of green. When I’m stuck with a problem…
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Equipping your Illustrator Tool Box
Hi All, In my last article, I interviewed Alyssa Menold, about critique partnerships and how to...
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How to Build Creative Momentum
Have you ever had a time when work is pouring out of you? You finish project after project,...
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Cultivating a Critique Partnership That Lasts
Critique from the wrong person at the wrong time can send an artist off their trail and put cracks in their confidence. I’m fortunate to have a few artists in my life who push my work with experience, expertise, and friendship. Finding and building these relationships is a journey on its own. To talk to you today about critique partnership and how to get more value from crits, I’d like to introduce to you my…
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Taking the Reins of Your Art Career
Last week I received the news that the novel I recently illustrated, A Horse Named Sky is #4 on the New York Best Seller list! A Horse Named Sky includes over 100 illustrations drawn traditionally (a big first for me!) I feel especially excited to share this on Muddy Colors because this extended community has been a big part of the foundation of all I’m creating today. If you have been illustrating for a while…
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Things to Think About When Illustrating Horses
It’s about a month now before A Horse Named Sky hits bookstores. This book has my inner tween-ager feeling completely giddy. When I approached illustrating this nearly 300-page book, it was not lost on me the challenge of drawing horses (a topic many artists grumble about.) I’m writing today to share with you some of the takeaways from my deep dive into drawing these incredible animals. Highlights Many great horse paintings or illustrations showcase specular…
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The Number One Art Tip Demystifed
If you’ve been practicing drawing for years, a newbie or a seasoned pro you know that age-old advice, “draw from life.” It seems to be the answer for all sorts of art questions, like, how can I get better? How can I draw faster? How do I find my style? First, what is drawing from life? Drawing from life, or sometimes called, “drawing from observation’ is a practice where the artist draws what they see…
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How to Speak Color
At your local hardware store, you will see paint colors with all sorts of names. Kettle black,...
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